Beverage container closure with venting

ABSTRACT

A beverage container closure or lid adapted for closing an open end of a beverage container. The lid is couplable to the beverage container and includes a selectively openable stopper that when closed, creates a fluid-tight seal between the beverage container and the environment. The stopper may be opened by pressing a button disposed on a side of the beverage container closure. The stopper is subsequently automatically closed when the button is released. Thus, the user may open and close the beverage container closure using a single hand without the need to remove the beverage container closure from the beverage container. The beverage container closure includes an actuating lever configured to press the button when a user applies a force to the lever. By utilizing the mechanical advantage provided by the lever, a user is able to selectively open and close the stopper using a relatively low amount of force.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed generally to lids for liquid storagevessels such as for beverage or food containers and more particularly tolids with movable components that include an actuating lever andpressure-venting features.

Description of the Related Art

Prior art lids are typically of one of three types. The first type is asolid unitary lid that does not include openings or apertures throughwhich the contents of a liquid storage vessel may exit the vessel. Todrink from the vessel, a user must remove the lid. The second type,which may also be of a unitary construction, includes one or moreunobstructed apertures through which the liquid may exit the vessel. Inthe second type, the apertures are always open. If the vessel isinadvertently tipped or dropped, the contents of the vessel may spill.The third type of lid includes one or more apertures through which theliquid may exit the vessel and a means for selectively opening andclosing the apertures. When using the third type of lid, the user mayselectively open the apertures to remove the contents from the vesseland selectively close the apertures to maintain the contents inside thevessel. Further, by closing the apertures, the lid may help insulate thecontents from the environment outside the vessel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top right side perspective view of a beverage containerclosure having a lever selectively disposed in a cover position to covera drinking opening in the beverage container closure.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the beverage container closure ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a right side elevational view of the beverage containerclosure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the beverage container closureof FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the beverage container closure ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the beverage container closure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the beverage container closure of FIG.1.

FIG. 8A is a top right side perspective view of the beverage containerclosure of FIG. 1 with the lever rotated away from the drinking openingand into an actuating position to provide a user with access to thedrinking opening.

FIG. 8B is a right side elevational view of the beverage container asshown in FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is a top right side perspective view of the beverage containerclosure of FIG. 1 when the lever is pressed inward by a user, whichcauses a stopper of the beverage container closure to move into an openposition.

FIG. 8D is a right side elevational view of the beverage container asshown in FIG. 8C.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged top plan view of the beverage container closure ofFIG. 8A.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional right side elevational view ofthe beverage container closure of FIG. 1 taken substantially along theline 10-10 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11A is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 11A-11Aof FIG. 9 with the stopper in the closed position.

FIG. 11B is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 11B-11Bof FIG. 9 with the stopper in the opened position.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged, exploded perspective view of a stopper assemblyof the beverage container closure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13A is an enlarged top plan view of the beverage container closureof FIG. 8A.

FIG. 13B is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 13B-13Bof FIG. 13A with no force being applied to the lever so that the stopperand a vent seal of the beverage container closure are in a sealedposition.

FIG. 13C is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 13B-13Bof FIG. 13A when a user has begun applying a force to the leversufficient to move vent seal into an open position but the stopperremains in the sealed position.

FIG. 13D is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 13B-13Bof FIG. 13A when a user has applied a force to the lever sufficient tomove the stopper and the vent seal into an open position as shown inFIGS. 8C and 8D.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Overview

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to beverage containerclosures or lids that are adapted for closing an open end of a beveragecontainer. The lids are selectively couplable to the beverage containerand include a selectively openable stopper that when closed, creates afluid-tight seal between the beverage container and the environment. Auser pressing a button disposed on a side of the beverage containerclosure may selectively open the stopper. The stopper is subsequentlyautomatically closed when the user releases the button. Thus, the usermay open and close the beverage container closure using a single handwithout the need to remove the beverage container closure from thebeverage container.

The beverage container closures described herein include an actuatinglever configured to press the button when a user applies an inward forceto the lever. By utilizing the mechanical advantage provided by thelever, a user is able to selectively open and close the stopper using arelatively low amount of hand force compared to directly pressing thebutton. This feature can be desirable for users that are not able or donot wish to use a relatively large amount of force to open the stopperof the beverage container closure by pressing directly on a relativelysmall button. The operation of the actuating lever is discussed belowwith reference primarily to FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D.

Embodiments of the present invention are also directed to systems andmethods for providing pressure venting for a beverage container closureor lid. When a hot liquid such as coffee is stored in a closed beveragecontainer, the pressure inside the beverage container builds. Due tothis pressure, for some beverage containers there is a potential forliquid or gas to be expelled or spray from an opening in the beveragecontainer when it is opened by a user (e.g., for drinking from thebeverage container). Embodiments of the invention disclosed herein arealso directed to venting mechanisms for beverage container closures thatprevent the spray of liquid or gas from a drink hole or vent hole ofbeverage container closures when the beverage container closures areopened by a user (e.g., to drink a beverage therefrom). Initially, withreference to FIGS. 1-12, a beverage container closure or lid thatincludes an exemplary venting mechanism is described generally.Afterward, with reference to FIGS. 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D, the ventingmechanism of the beverage container closure is described in detail.

Beverage Container Closure

A beverage container closure or lid, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 inFIG. 1. The lid 10 has a generally cylindrical main body 12 that isadapted for closing an open end of a conventional drinking vessel orbeverage container 8 (shown in dashed lines for illustrative purposes).The beverage container 8 may be any suitable type of container such asthe tumbler type (that is, without a handle) for use in automotivebeverage receptacles, or for transport in backpacks, book bags, and thelike. The lid 10 is selectively couplable to the beverage container 8 byany suitable means such as threads 54 disposed on an outer surface of asidewall 52 of a lower, downwardly depending portion 50 of the main body12. The lid 10 also includes a flexible O-ring seal member 56 (see FIG.2) positioned adjacent the sidewall 52 of the lower portion 50 at alocation near a bottom surface of an upper portion 14 of the main body12. The particular configuration for mating the lid 10 to the container8 is a matter of choice for one of ordinary skill in the art. Thus,although threads 54 and the seal member 56 have been shown in thisembodiment, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that anyother means for attaching and sealing the lid 10 with respect to thebeverage container 8 may be substituted.

As best seen in FIG. 8A, the upper portion 14 of the main body 12 alsoincludes a forward lip portion 70 configured for contact with a user'slips when the entire assembly is tipped toward the user, such that theuser may drink from the beverage container 8 to which the lid 10 isattached. The upper portion 14 also includes an aperture or drinkingopening 64 configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when a userdrinks a beverage.

Fluid communication between the upper portion 14 and the interior of thebeverage container 8 is controlled by way of a selectively openablestopper assembly 100, which may best be viewed in FIG. 12. The stopperassembly 100 includes a stopper 110 having a raised portion 112configured for attachment of a stopper seal 102 thereto (e.g., by apress fit). The stopper seal 102 may be formed from a flexible materialand is shaped to be positioned over a top surface 114 of the raisedportion 112. Below the raised portion 112 of the stopper 110 is anangled base or body portion 115. Further, extending in a downwarddirection from the body portion 115 of the stopper 110 is acircumferential sidewall 118. The sidewall 118 is configured to engage astopper cap 170.

The stopper 110 also comprises an upwardly extending cylindrical wall111 (see FIGS. 10 and 12) sized to be slightly larger than a downwardlyextending cylindrical wall 13 of the upper portion 14 of the main body12, such that the walls 13 and 111 may move axially freely intelescoping fashion with respect to each other when the lid 10 isoperated by a user as described below. The stopper 110 also includes apair of spaced apart cam followers 119A and 119B having respective camfollower surfaces 122A and 122B (see FIGS. 12, 13B, 13C, and 13D)disposed on the base portion 115 of the stopper on opposing sides of theupwardly extending cylindrical wall 111. The functionality of the camfollowers 119A and 119B is described herein below.

As may best be viewed in FIG. 10, the stopper cap 170 includes a raisedportion 172 configured to fit within the circumferential sidewall 118 ofthe stopper 110. The stopper cap 170 further includes an opening definedby an annular-shaped edge 176, and a bottom surface 174. These featuresare described below. When the stopper cap 170 is coupled to the stopper110, an interior hollow region 123 is formed. To provide insulationbetween the interior of the beverage container 8 and the environment, aninsulating substance, such as a ring of styrene, may be placed withinthe interior hollow region 123 of the stopper 110. The stopper cap 170may be fixedly or removably coupled to the stopper 110.

The stopper assembly 100 also includes a stopper cover 150 (see FIGS. 10and 12) configured for retaining the stopper assembly within a hollowinterior region 36 of the main body 12. The stopper cover 150 includes abase portion 152 including multiple spaced apart apertures or openings156 (see FIG. 3) disposed therein to allow for fluid passagetherethrough. Further, the stopper cover 150 comprises an upwardlyextending substantially cylindrically-shaped rod 161 terminating with anengagement portion 162 with external threads. As shown, the rod 161passes through the opening defined by the annular-shaped edge 176 in thestopper cap 170, and through a downwardly extending cylindrical wall 121of the stopper 110, where it is threadably engaged with an interiorlythreaded stopper cover engagement portion 22 of the downwardly extendingcylindrical wall 13 of the upper portion 14 of the main body 12, therebysecuring the stopper cover 150 (and the other components of the stopperassembly 100) to the main body 12 of the lid 10. Stopper cover handles157 are provided so a user can easily grip and rotate the stopper cover150 to threadably engage the rod 161 with the stopper cover engagementportion 22.

As may best be viewed in FIG. 10, the stopper assembly 100 furtherincludes a stopper biasing member 144 (in the illustrated embodiment, aspring) configured for biasing the stopper 110 upward into the closedposition which provides a fluid-tight seal for the lid 10. The stopperbiasing member 144 is sized to have a diameter that is slightly largerthan the upwardly extending substantially cylindrically-shaped rod 161of the stopper cover 150, such that the stopper biasing member may bepositioned over the rod 161 and between a top surface 155 of the baseportion 152 of the stopper cover 150 and an inner bottom surface 174 ofthe stopper cap 170 (see FIG. 10).

As may best be viewed in FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 12, the stopper assembly100 further includes an actuating member 130 configured for acting onthe cam followers 119A and 119B of the stopper 110 to selectively movethe stopper between the opened position and the closed position. Theactuating member 130 includes first and second cam surfaces 133A and133B (or “stopper engagement portions”) spaced apart from each other andconfigured for slidable engagement with the first and second camfollowers 119A and 119B (or “actuating member engagement portions”),respectively, of the stopper 110. The cam surfaces 133A and 133B areeach ramp-shaped and are angled downward from a distal end 134 toward aproximal end 132 of the actuating member 130 (see FIGS. 11A and 11B). Asdescribed below, the cam surfaces 133A and 133B engage the surfaces ofthe cam followers 119A and 119B, respectively, to move the stopper 110between the upward closed and lowered opened positions (shown in FIGS.11A and 11B, respectively).

The actuating member 130 further includes a rod 140 (see FIG. 12)disposed at the proximal end 132 having a base portion 140A and a buttoncoupling portion 140B. The button coupling portion 140B of the rod 140is sized and shaped to be inserted (e.g., press fit) into a recessedportion of a button 30 (see FIG. 10) configured to permit a user toactuate the actuating member 130 by simply pressing the button inward orby applying a force to a lever 180 to press the button inward, as willbe discussed below. Further, as discussed in detail below, a ventingwiper seal member 28 (see FIGS. 10, 12, and 13B-D) is disposed aroundthe base portion 140A of the rod 140.

The operation of the stopper assembly 100 is now described withreference to FIGS. 11A and 11B, which show cut-away right sideelevational views of the lid 10 when the stopper 110 is in the sealed orclosed position (FIG. 11A) and the opened position (FIG. 11B). As can beseen, the stopper assembly 100 is positioned within the hollow interiorregion 36 of the main body 12. The engagement portion 162 of the stoppercover 150 is engaged with the stopper cover engagement portion 22 of thedownwardly extending cylindrical wall 13 of the upper portion 14disposed in the hollow interior region 36 of the main body 12 (see FIG.10). For example, the stopper cover 150 may be threadably engaged withthe main body 12 to retain the stopper cover and the other components ofthe stopper assembly 100.

As shown in FIG. 11A, the stopper seal 102 is in sealing contact withthe stopper seal engagement portion 68 that defines the drinking opening64 of the main body 12. In this regard, when the stopper 110 is in theclosed position shown in FIG. 11A, the stopper seal 102 is pressedagainst the stopper seal engagement portion 68 of the main body 12 bythe biasing member 144 to provide a fluid-tight seal between thecontainer 8 to which the lid 10 is attached and the environment.

The actuating member 130 is situated such that the first and second camsurfaces 133A and 133B are aligned over the first and second camfollower surfaces 122A and 122B of the cam followers 119A and 119B,respectively, of the stopper 110. The rod 140 of the actuating member130 is situated within an actuating member opening 25 (also referred toas a “button tunnel”) in a rear portion 20 (see FIGS. 10 and 12) of themain body 12 formed by a circumferential wall 26 (or actuating memberopening wall). As shown in FIG. 10, the venting wiper seal member 28 isdisposed around the base portion 140A of the rod 140 and inward of thecircumferential wall 26 inside the button tunnel 25 to provide afluid-tight seal between the environment and the hollow interior region36 of the main body 12 when positioned in the button tunnel 25. In turn,the button 30 is coupled to the button coupling portion 140B of the rod140 of the actuating member 130 (e.g., by a press fit) to allow a userto actuate the actuating member by pressing inward on the button, eitherdirectly or by pressing on the lever 180 as described below. A buttonbiasing member 32 (e.g., a spring) is positioned over thecircumferential wall 26 in a space 34 between the wall 26 and asurrounding outer wall 24 forming a recess in the rear portion 20 of themain body 12. The button biasing member 32 is operative to bias thebutton 30 and the actuating member 130 coupled thereto to the outwardposition shown in FIG. 11A which corresponds to the closed position ofthe stopper 110 and tends to move the actuating member 130 toward thatposition.

In operation, a user may cause the button 30 to be moved inward which inturn causes the actuating member 130 to be displaced in an inward,substantially horizontal direction (from the right to the left in theviews shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B). As the actuating member 130 isdisplaced, the first and second cam surfaces 133A and 133B of theactuating member 130 slidably engage the surfaces 122A and 122B of thefirst and second cam followers 119A and 119B, respectively, of thestopper 110. Since the first and second cam surfaces 133A and 133B eachslope downward from the distal end 134 toward the proximal end 132 ofthe actuating member 130, the surfaces of the first and second camfollowers 119A and 119B (and thus the stopper 110) are moved in adownward direction as the actuating member 130 is displaced inward, asshown in FIG. 11B.

As the stopper 110 is moved in a downward direction, a gap 38 (see FIG.11B) is formed between the stopper seal 102 and the stopper sealengagement portion 68 of the main body 12 such that fluid may passthrough the drinking opening 64. Additionally, as the actuating member130 is displaced inward, the wiper seal member 28 exits the buttontunnel 25, which provides a passage between the outer environment andthe hollow interior portion 36 of the main body 12. The timing of theoperation of the sealing members 28, 102, and 117 is discussed below inthe section describing the venting mechanism.

It should be appreciated that although in this embodiment the actuatingmember 130 includes the cam surfaces 133A and 133B and the stopper 110includes the cam followers 119A and 119B, in other embodiments theactuating member 130 may include one or more cam followers and thestopper 110 may include one or more corresponding cam surfaces.

Actuating Lever

As discussed above, the lid 10 also comprises the selectively rotatable,exterior actuating lever 180 pivotally engaged with the upper portion 14of the main body 12. In some embodiments, the lever 180 is selectivelyrotatable between a cover position (see FIGS. 1-7) and an actuatingposition (see FIGS. 8A-D). In other embodiments, the lever 180 may bepivotally coupled to the main body 12 but is not movable into a positionwherein it covers the drinking opening 64. The lever 180 includes, anupper surface 182 (facing upward when in the cover position, andlaterally inward in the actuating position), a bottom surface 185(facing downward when in the cover position, but laterally outward inthe actuating position, see FIG. 8A), a forward portion 184, and a lidcoupling portion 186. The lid coupling portion 186 is configured toreceive a pin 183 through an aperture that extends between levercoupling portions 75A and 75B of the lid 10. The pin 183 also extendsthrough apertures 76A and 76B in the lever coupling portions 75A and75B, respectively, to form a hinge 191 (see FIGS. 8A-8D) between the lid10 and the lever 180.

When in the cover position shown in FIGS. 1-7, the lever 180 ispositioned partially within a recessed portion 63 in the lid and betweeninner sidewalls 71A and 71B (see FIGS. 8A and 12). Thus, when the lever180 in the cover position, the upper-most surface of the lid 10 isformed by a right upper surface 73A, the upper surface 182 of the lever180, and a left upper surface 73B. When in the cover position, the lever180 is positioned over and is operative to cover the opening 64 when auser is not in the process of drinking a beverage. As shown in FIGS.2-4, the forward portion 184 is disposed over the forward lip portion 70when in the cover position. The inner sidewalls 71A and 71B includerespective detents or recesses 67A and 67B (see FIGS. 8A and 12)configured to releasably receive corresponding protrusions 181A and 181Bdisposed on the lever 180. The protrusions 181A and 181B may be somewhatflexible so that they compress inward for engagement with the recesses67A and 67B, respectively, followed by return toward their originalposition or shape to accomplish the interference required to latch thelever 180 to the main body 12 of the lid 10. This “snap fit” feature isuseful because it allows the lever 180 to be selectively and releasablylatched to the lid 10 in the cover position without requiring anyscrews, clips, adhesives, or other joining methods. That is, theprotrusions 67A and 67B and the recesses 181A and 181B are molded intothe main body 12 and the lever 180, respectively, so additional partsare not needed to join them together.

In operation, a user may selectively rotate the lever 180 from the coverposition (see FIGS. 8A and 8B) to the actuating position (see FIGS. 8Cand 8D) wherein the lever does not cover the opening 64. In theactuating position of FIGS. 8C and 8D, the user may apply a force (F₁)to the lever 180 at a user force application portion 189, which causes abutton contact portion 187 of the lever positioned between the pin 183of the lid coupling portion 186 and the user force application portionto apply a laterally inward force (F₂) to move the button 30 laterallyinward so that the user may operate the lid 10 to drink a beverage orother fluid housed in the container 8 to which the lid is attached. Thisposition is depicted in FIGS. 8C and 8D, which show that a user appliesthe force (F₁) to the force application portion 189 to move the lever180 laterally inward toward the body of the beverage container 8. Sincethe force application portion 189 of the lever 180 is positioned at alocation where a user would normally hold the beverage container 8, theuser can easily operate the lever by using a finger to “squeeze” thelever toward the beverage container.

As shown in FIG. 8D, the lever 180 provides a mechanical advantage thatenables the user to actuate the stopper 110 using less force than isrequired by directly depressing the button 30. The hinge 191 and thelever 180 form a “Class 2 lever” that amplifies the force (F₁) appliedby the user at the user force application portion 189 into the force(F₂) applied to the button 30 at the button contact portion 187. As willbe appreciated, this occurs because the distance (L₁) between the userforce application portion 189 of the lever 180 and the pin 183 of thehinge 191 is greater than the distance (L₂) between the button contactportion 187 and the hinge pin. More specifically, the mechanicaladvantage (MA) provided by the lever 180 is approximately equal to thelength (L₁) divided by the length (L₂), or MA=L₁/L₂. In the illustratedembodiment, the lever 180 is configured such that the force (F₂) appliedto the button 30 is approximately four times greater than the force (F₁)applied by the user (i.e., L₁≈4L₂). As discussed above, this feature isespecially advantageous for users that are not able or do not wish touse a relatively large amount of force to open the stopper 110 of thebeverage container closure 10.

Venting Mechanism

As discussed above, when a hot liquid (e.g., coffee, tea, etc.) isstored in the beverage container 8 with the lid 10 secured thereto sothat a seal is formed between the interior of the beverage container andthe exterior environment, the pressure inside the beverage container maybuild. Due to this pressure, there is a potential for hot liquid or gasto spray or otherwise be expelled from the drinking opening 64 in thelid 10 when it is opened by a user (e.g., when drinking from thebeverage container 8). To prevent this, in some embodiments, the ventseal 28, the button tunnel 25, the actuating member 130, and the stopper110 are configured to together provide a venting mechanism (referencedgenerally by the numeral 200 in FIG. 13B) that prevents the spray ofliquid or gas from the drinking opening 64 of the lid 10 when the lid isopened by a user.

The operation of the venting mechanism 200 is now described withreference to FIGS. 13B, 13C, and 13D, which show sectional views of thelid 10 taken substantially along the line 13B-13B of FIG. 13A, when thebutton 30 is not depressed by a user applying a force to the lever 180(FIG. 13B), when the button is partially depressed (FIG. 13C), and whenthe button is fully depressed (FIG. 13D). In FIG. 13B, the vent seal 28and the stopper 110 are both in a sealed position. In FIG. 13C, the ventseal 28 is in a venting or open position, and the stopper 110 remains inthe sealed position. In FIG. 13D, the vent seal 28 and the stopper 110are both in the open position.

As shown in FIG. 13B, when the button 30 is not being depressed by thelever 180, the stopper seal 102 is in contact with the stopper sealengagement portion 68 that defines the drinking opening 64 of the mainbody 12. In this regard, when the stopper 100 is in the closed positionshown in FIG. 13B, the stopper seal 102 is pressed against the stopperseal engagement portion 68 of the main body 12 by the biasing member 144to provide a fluid-tight seal between the container 8 to which the lid10 is attached and the environment. Further, the vent seal 28 isdisposed around the base portion 140A of the rod 140 and outward of aninnermost edge 27 of the circumferential wall 26, such that it ispositioned inside the button tunnel 25 to provide a fluid-tight sealbetween the environment and the hollow interior region 36 of the mainbody 12.

FIG. 13C depicts the lid 10 when the button 30 is partially depressed.As can be appreciated, the button 30 may be moved into this partiallydepressed position of FIG. 13C as a user moves the lever 180 between thenon-depressed position shown in FIG. 13B and the fully depressedposition shown in FIG. 13D. In this partially depressed position, thevent seal 28 has been displaced inward by a sufficient amount so that itis positioned inward of the edge 27 of the circumferential wall 26,outside the button tunnel 25, such that an air gap 39 is formed thatallows for the passage of air between the outer environment and thehollow interior portion 36 of the main body 12.

It is noted that the actuating member 130 is configured such that thefirst and second cam surfaces 133A and 1336 are aligned over thesurfaces surface 122A of the cam follower 119A and the surface 1226 ofthe cam follower 1196 of the first and second cam follower 119A and1196, respectively, in a manner such that the first and second camsurfaces do not engage the first and second cam follower surfaces,respectively, to move the stopper 110 in a downward direction until thebutton 30 has been moved inward sufficiently for the vent seal 28 toexit the button tunnel 25 and for the air gap 39 to be formed. Thus,during operation when a user depresses the lever 180 to move the button30 inward, the vent seal 28 is opened before the drinking opening 64 isopened. Accordingly, any pressure that has built up within the beveragecontainer 8 will be released through the air gap 39 when the userdepresses the lever 180. This configuration prevents the possibility ofair or liquid being expelled or sprayed out of the drinking opening 64,since the drinking opening is only opened after the air gap 39 hasformed and the pressure within the container has equalized.

FIG. 13D illustrates the condition when a user has fully depressed thelever 180, which causes the actuating member 130 to be displaced evenfurther than shown in FIG. 13C in an inward, substantially horizontaldirection. As the actuating member 130 is displaced, the first andsecond cam surfaces 133A and 1336 of the actuating member 130 slidablyengage the surfaces 122A and 122B of the first and second cam followers119A and 119B, respectively, as described above. As the stopper 110 ismoved in a downward direction, the gap 38 is formed between the stopperseal 102 and the stopper seal engagement portion 68 of the main body 12such that fluid may pass through the drinking opening 64 when thebeverage container 8 is tilted. As shown, the air gap 39 is also presentwhen the button 30 is in the fully depressed position shown in FIG. 13D.In additional to providing venting capability immediately when the lid10 is first opened by a user, the air gap 39 also allows fluid to passthrough the drinking opening 64 more freely as the user drinks from thebeverage container 8.

As can be appreciated, the assembly described above may be disassembledby a user for cleaning if desired. As may best be viewed in FIGS. 10 and12, a user may simply unscrew the stopper cover 150 from the stoppercover engagement portion 22 of the main body 12 using the handles 157,which will release the stopper 110 and the stopper cap 170, the stoppercover 150, and the stopper biasing member 144 from the hollow interiorregion 36 of the main body. Once these components have been cleaned, theuser may then reassemble the lid 10 by first inserting the stopper 110back into the hollow interior region 36 of the main body 12. Then, theuser may position the stopper-biasing member 144 over the rod 161 of thestopper cover 150, and threadably connect the engagement portion 162 ofthe stopper cover with the stopper cover engagement portion 22 of themain body 12, thereby securing the stopper 110 within the hollowinterior portion 36 of the main body.

Further, since both the actuating member 130 and the stopper 110 arebiased by the button-biasing member 32 and the stopper-biasing member144, respectively, the stopper 110 automatically returns to the sealedor closed position (shown in FIG. 13B) once the user removes pressurefrom the lever 180. In this regard, the user may open and drink from thebeverage container 8 shown in FIG. 1 to which the lid 10 is attachedusing one hand by simply pressing the lever 180 inward with a finger ofthe hand holding the container while consuming a beverage and releasingthe lever thereafter to automatically reseal the container. As can beappreciated, the ability to open, drink from, and close a containerusing only one hand may be desirable for various active users includingbicyclists, hikers, drivers, and the like.

The foregoing described embodiments depict different componentscontained within, or connected with, different other components. It isto be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary,and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented whichachieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangementof components to achieve the same functionality is effectively“associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, anytwo components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality canbe seen as “associated with” each other such that the desiredfunctionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedialcomponents. Likewise, any two components so associated can also beviewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to eachother to achieve the desired functionality.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that,based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from this invention and its broader aspects and,therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope allsuch changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scopeof this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that theinvention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will beunderstood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein,and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appendedclaims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.).

It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specificnumber of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intentwill be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of suchrecitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, evenif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitlyrecited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations).

Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appendedclaims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A drinking container for use by a user,comprising: a drinking container body having a container cavity with anopen upper end, the container boding having a generally longitudinalaxis; a removable drinking container body lid covering the upper end ofthe container cavity, the lid having a drink aperture and a ventaperture; a trigger assembly controlling fluid communication between thecontainer cavity and the drink aperture and vent aperture, the triggerassembly having a button member movable by the user in a directiontransverse to the container body longitudinal axis to actuate opening ofthe drink aperture to allow fluid communication between the containercavity and the drink aperture and to actuate opening of the ventaperture to allow fluid communication between the container cavity andthe vent aperture; a lever rotatably coupled to the lid, in a firstlever position the lever is in engagement with the button member and isinwardly moveable therefrom to apply an inward force on the buttonmember to move the button member sufficient to actuate opening of thedrink aperture and the vent aperture; and a stopper movably coupled tothe lid and configured for upward displacement into a closed positionwhereat the stopper closes the drink aperture to prevent fluid passagetherethrough, and downward displacement into an opened position whereatthe stopper opens the drink aperture to allow fluid passage through thedrink aperture, the stopper having a stopper engagement portioncomprising one of a cam surface and a cam follower, and the triggerassembly having an actuating member engagement portion comprising theother of the cam surface and the cam follower, the actuating memberengagement portion being positioned to slidably engage the stopperengagement portion during inward movement of the button member to causethe actuating member engagement portion to move the stopper engagementportion downward which moves the stopper to the opened position, andbeing positioned such that during outward movement of the button memberthe actuating member engagement portion permits the stopper engagementportion to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position.2. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the lever is outwardlyrotatably movable from the first lever position to a second leverposition whereat the lever is out of engagement with the button member.3. The drink container of claim 2, wherein in the second lever positionthe lever extends transverse to the container body longitudinal axis. 4.The drink container of claim 1, wherein the lever is outwardly rotatablymovable from the first lever position to a second lever position whereatthe lever is out of engagement with the button member and positioned topermit the button member to be moved inward by the hand of the user. 5.The drink container of claim 1, further including a vent aperture sealmovable between a first seal position and a second seal position, in thefirst seal position the vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture andin the second seal position the vent aperture seal opens the ventaperture to allow fluid communication between the container cavity andthe vent aperture, the trigger assembly has an actuator memberoperatively connected to the vent aperture seal, the button member beingoperatively connected to the actuator member with inward movement of thebutton member causing the actuator member to move inward and move thevent aperture seal from the first seal position to the second sealposition.
 6. The drink container of claim 1, further including a ventaperture seal movable between a first seal position and a second sealposition, in the first seal position the vent aperture seal closes thevent aperture and in the second seal position the vent aperture sealopens the vent aperture to allow fluid communication between thecontainer cavity and the vent aperture, the trigger assembly beingoperatively connected to the vent aperture seal to move the ventaperture seal from the first seal position to the second seal positionin response to inward movement of the button member.
 7. The drinkcontainer of claim 1, wherein the lid has a downwardly opening hollowinterior body region and the stopper is at least partially positionedwithin the hollow interior body region, the stopper having a stopperbase portion and a stopper sealing portion extending upward from thestopper base portion, the stopper sealing portion has an upper endportion with a seal positioned to close the drink aperture when thestopper is in the closed position and to open the drink aperture whenthe stopper is in the opened position.
 8. The drink container of claim1, wherein the stopper engagement portion is a first engagement portionof the stopper and the stopper further includes a second engagementportion comprising one of a cam and a cam follower, and the actuatingmember engagement portion is a first engagement portion of the triggerassembly and the trigger assembly further includes a second engagementportion comprising one of a cam and a cam follower, the first engagementportion of the trigger assembly being arranged to engage the firstengagement portion of the stopper and apply a downwardly directedoperating first force to the first engagement portion of the stopperduring inward movement of the button member to cause the firstengagement portion of the trigger assembly to move the first engagementportion of the stopper downward and thereby move the stopper sealingportion toward the opened position, and the second engagement portion ofthe trigger assembly being arranged to engage the second engagementportion of the stopper and apply a downwardly directed operating secondforce to the second engagement portion of the stopper during inwardmovement of the button member to cause the second engagement portion ofthe trigger assembly to move the second engagement portion of thestopper downward and thereby move the stopper sealing portion toward theopened position.
 9. The drink container of claim 8, wherein the firstand second engagement portions of the trigger assembly being positionedsuch that during outward movement of the button member the first andsecond engagement portions of the trigger assembly permit the first andsecond engagement portions of the stopper to move upward which moves thestopper to the closed position.
 10. The drink container of claim 8,wherein the first and second engagement portions of the stopper arelaterally spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of thecontainer body longitudinal axis, and the first and second engagementportions of the trigger assembly are laterally spaced apart from eachother on opposite sides of the container body longitudinal axis.
 11. Thedrink container of claim 8, further including a vent aperture sealmovable between a first seal position and a second seal position, in thefirst seal position the vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture andin the second seal position the vent aperture seal opens the ventaperture to allow fluid communication between the container cavity andthe vent aperture, the trigger assembly has an actuator memberoperatively connected to the vent aperture seal, the button member beingoperatively connected to the actuator member with inward movement of thebutton member causing the actuator member to move inward and move thevent aperture seal from the first seal position to the second sealposition.
 12. The drink container of claim 8, further including a ventaperture seal movable between a first seal position and a second sealposition, in the first seal position the vent aperture seal closes thevent aperture and in the second seal position the vent aperture sealopens the vent aperture to allow fluid communication between thecontainer cavity and the vent aperture, the trigger assembly beingoperatively connected to the vent aperture seal to move the ventaperture seal from the first seal position to the second seal positionin response to inward movement of the button member.
 13. The drinkcontainer of claim 8, wherein the lid has a downwardly opening hollowinterior body region and the stopper is at least partially positionedwithin the hollow interior body region, the stopper having a stopperbase portion and a stopper sealing portion extending upward from thestopper base portion, and the stopper sealing portion has an upper endportion with a seal positioned to close the drink aperture when thestopper is in the closed position and to open the drink aperture whenthe stopper is in the opened position.
 14. The drink container of claim1, wherein the lid has a downwardly opening hollow interior body regionand the stopper is at least partially positioned within the hollowinterior body region, the stopper having a stopper base portion and astopper sealing portion extending upward from the stopper base portion.15. The drink container of claim 14, wherein the stopper sealing portionhas an upper end portion with a seal positioned to close the drinkaperture when the stopper is in the closed position and to open thedrink aperture when the stopper is in the opened position.
 16. The drinkcontainer of claim 14, wherein the stopper sealing portion and thestopper base portion are movable together as a unit between the stopperclosed and opened positions.
 17. The drink container of claim 14,further including an axially extending stopper biasing member coupled tothe stopper, the stopper biasing member applying an axially upwardbiasing force to the stopper to bias the stopper toward the closedposition, the stopper biasing member being disconnectable from thestopper, and when disconnected from the stopper, the stopper being fullyseparable from the lid.
 18. The drink container of claim 17, wherein thestopper biasing member applies a biasing force to the button membertending to move the button member in an outward direction.
 19. The drinkcontainer of claim 14, wherein the stopper base portion at leastpartially blocks the flow of fluid through the hollow interior bodyregion of the lid.
 20. The drink container of claim 19, wherein thehollow interior body region of the lid has a lower end portion definingan open lower end of the hollow interior body region, and the stopperbase portion spans across the open lower end and has a perimeter portionlocated adjacent to the lower end portion.
 21. The drink container ofclaim 1, wherein the stopper has a stopper base portion and a stoppersealing portion extending upward from the stopper base portion, thestopper sealing portion having an upper end portion with a sealpositioned to close the drink aperture when the stopper is in the closedposition and to open the drink aperture when the stopper is in theopened position.
 22. The drink container of claim 21, wherein thestopper base and stopper sealing portion are rigidly connected togetherand move as a unit.
 23. The drink container of claim 21, furtherincluding a vent aperture seal movable between a first seal position anda second seal position, in the first seal position the vent apertureseal closes the vent aperture and in the second seal position the ventaperture seal opens the vent aperture to allow fluid communicationbetween the container cavity and the vent aperture, the trigger assemblyhas an actuator member operatively connected to the vent aperture seal,the button member being operatively connected to the actuator memberwith inward movement of the button member causing the actuator member tomove inward and move the vent aperture seal from the first seal positionto the second seal position.
 24. The drink container of claim 21,further including a vent aperture seal movable between a first sealposition and a second seal position, in the first seal position the ventaperture seal closes the vent aperture and in the second seal positionthe vent aperture seal opens the vent aperture to allow fluidcommunication between the container cavity and the vent aperture, thetrigger assembly being operatively connected to the vent aperture sealto move the vent aperture seal from the first seal position to thesecond seal position in response to inward movement of the buttonmember.
 25. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the inward force onthe button member first actuates opening of the vent aperture and afteropening of the vent aperture next actuates opening of the drinkaperture.
 26. The drink container of claim 1, further including a ventaperture seal movable between a first seal position and a second sealposition, and a lid wall with a wall opening, in the first seal positionthe vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture and in the second sealposition the vent aperture seal opens the vent aperture to allow fluidcommunication between the container cavity and the vent aperture. 27.The drink container of claim 26, wherein the trigger assembly has anactuator member extending through the wall opening and operativelyconnected to the vent aperture seal, the button member being operativelyconnected to the actuator member with inward movement of the buttonmember causing the actuator member to move inward and move the ventaperture seal from the first seal position to the second seal position.28. The drinking container of claim 1, wherein the lid has an upper walland a sidewall extending downward from and at least partially around theupper wall, the vent aperture being located in the sidewall.
 29. Thedrink container of claim 28, further including a vent aperture sealmovable between a first seal position and a second seal position, in thefirst seal position the vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture andin the second seal position the vent aperture seal opens the ventaperture to allow fluid communication between the container cavity andthe vent aperture.
 30. The drink container of claim 29, wherein thetrigger assembly has an actuator member extending through a wall openingin the lid and operatively connected to the vent aperture seal, thebutton member being operatively connected to the actuator member withinward movement of the button member causing the actuator member to moveinward and move the vent aperture seal from the first seal position tothe second seal position.
 31. The drink container of claim 1, whereinthe lever has a first lever end portion rotatably connected to the lidand a free second lever end portion, and the lever is outwardlyrotatably movable from the first lever position to a second leverposition whereat the lever is out of engagement with the button memberand the second lever end portion is positioned above the lid.
 32. Thedrink container of claim 1, wherein the lever has a first lever endportion rotatably connected to the lid and a free second lever endportion, and the lever is outwardly rotatably movable from the firstlever position to a second lever position whereat the lever is rotatedto position the lever sufficiently clear of the button member to permitmanual operation of the button member.
 33. The drink container of claim1, wherein, when a first force is applied to the lever, the lever isoperative to apply a second force to the button member to cause thebutton member to move inward.
 34. A lid for use with a drinkingcontainer containing a liquid and operable by a hand of a user,comprising: a lid body couplable to the drinking container and having adrink aperture and a vent aperture; a trigger assembly controlling fluidflow through the drink aperture and vent aperture, the trigger assemblyhaving a button member movable inward by the user to actuate opening ofthe drink aperture and opening of the vent aperture; a lever rotatablycoupled to the lid body, in a first lever position the lever is inengagement with the button member and is inwardly moveable therefrom toapply an inward force on the button member to move the button membersufficient to actuate opening of the drink aperture and the ventaperture; and wherein the lever is outwardly rotatably movable from thefirst lever position to a second lever position whereat the lever is outof engagement with the button member, and in the second lever positionthe lever extends transverse to the container body longitudinal axis.35. A lid for use with a drinking container containing a liquid andoperable by a hand of a user, comprising: a lid body couplable to thedrinking container and having a drink aperture and a vent aperture; atrigger assembly controlling fluid flow through the drink aperture andvent aperture, the trigger assembly having a button member movableinward by the user to actuate opening of the drink aperture and openingof the vent aperture; a lever rotatably coupled to the lid body, in afirst lever position the lever is in engagement with the button memberand is inwardly moveable therefrom to apply an inward force on thebutton member to move the button member sufficient to actuate opening ofthe drink aperture and the vent aperture; and wherein the lever isoutwardly rotatably movable from the first lever position to a secondlever position whereat the lever is out of engagement with the buttonmember and positioned to permit the button member to be moved inward bythe hand of the user.
 36. A lid for use with a drinking containercontaining a liquid and operable by a hand of a user, comprising: a lidbody couplable to the drinking container and having a drink aperture anda vent aperture; a trigger assembly controlling fluid flow through thedrink aperture and vent aperture, the trigger assembly having a buttonmember movable inward by the user to actuate opening of the drinkaperture and opening of the vent aperture; a lever rotatably coupled tothe lid body, in a first lever position the lever is in engagement withthe button member and is inwardly moveable therefrom to apply an inwardforce on the button member to move the button member sufficient toactuate opening of the drink aperture and the vent aperture; and astopper movably coupled to the lid body and configured for upwarddisplacement into a closed position whereat the stopper closes the drinkaperture, and downward displacement into an opened position whereat thestopper opens the drink aperture, the stopper having a stopperengagement portion comprising one of a cam surface and a cam follower,and the trigger assembly having an actuating member engagement portioncomprising the other of the cam surface and the cam follower, theactuating member engagement portion being positioned to slidably engagethe stopper engagement portion during inward movement of the buttonmember to cause the actuating member engagement portion to move thestopper engagement portion downward which moves the stopper to theopened position, and being positioned such that during outward movementof the button member the actuating member engagement portion permits thestopper engagement portion to move upward which moves the stopper to theclosed position.
 37. The lid of claim 36, further including a ventaperture seal movable between a first seal position and a second sealposition, in the first seal position the vent aperture seal closes thevent aperture and in the second seal position the vent aperture sealopens the vent aperture, the trigger assembly has an actuator memberoperatively connected to the vent aperture seal, the button member beingoperatively connected to the actuator member with inward movement of thebutton member causing the actuator member to move inward and move thevent aperture seal from the first seal position to the second sealposition.
 38. The lid of claim 36, further including a vent apertureseal movable between a first seal position and a second seal position,in the first seal position the vent aperture seal closes the ventaperture and in the second seal position the vent aperture seal opensthe vent aperture, the trigger assembly being operatively connected tothe vent aperture seal to move the vent aperture seal from the firstseal position to the second seal position in response to inward movementof the button member.
 39. The lid of claim 36, wherein the lid body hasa downwardly opening hollow interior body region and the stopper is atleast partially positioned within the hollow interior body region, thestopper having a stopper base portion and a stopper sealing portionextending upward from the stopper base portion, the stopper sealingportion has an upper end portion with a seal positioned to close thedrink aperture when the stopper is in the closed position and to openthe drink aperture when the stopper is in the opened position.
 40. Thelid of claim 36, wherein the stopper engagement portion is a firstengagement portion of the stopper and the stopper further includes asecond engagement portion comprising one of a cam and a cam follower,and the actuating member engagement portion is a first engagementportion of the trigger assembly and the trigger assembly furtherincludes a second engagement portion comprising one of a cam and a camfollower, the first engagement portion of the trigger assembly beingarranged to engage the first engagement portion of the stopper and applya downwardly directed operating first force to the first engagementportion of the stopper during inward movement of the button member tocause the first engagement portion of the trigger assembly to move thefirst engagement portion of the stopper downward and thereby move thestopper sealing portion toward the opened position, and the secondengagement portion of the trigger assembly being arranged to engage thesecond engagement portion of the stopper and apply a downwardly directedoperating second force to the second engagement portion of the stopperduring inward movement of the button member to cause the secondengagement portion of the trigger assembly to move the second engagementportion of the stopper downward and thereby move the stopper sealingportion toward the opened position.
 41. The lid of claim 40, wherein thefirst and second engagement portions of the trigger assembly beingpositioned such that during outward movement of the button member thefirst and second engagement portions of the trigger assembly permit thefirst and second engagement portions of the stopper to move upward whichmoves the stopper to the closed position.
 42. The lid of claim 40,wherein the first and second engagement portions of the stopper arelaterally spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of thecontainer body longitudinal axis, and the first and second engagementportions of the trigger assembly are laterally spaced apart from eachother on opposite sides of the container body longitudinal axis.
 43. Thelid of claim 40, further including a vent aperture seal movable betweena first seal position and a second seal position, in the first sealposition the vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture and in thesecond seal position the vent aperture seal opens the vent aperture, thetrigger assembly has an actuator member operatively connected to thevent aperture seal, the button member being operatively connected to theactuator member with inward movement of the button member causing theactuator member to move inward and move the vent aperture seal from thefirst seal position to the second seal position.
 44. The lid of claim40, further including a vent aperture seal movable between a first sealposition and a second seal position, in the first seal position the ventaperture seal closes the vent aperture and in the second seal positionthe vent aperture seal opens the vent aperture, the trigger assemblybeing operatively connected to the vent aperture seal to move the ventaperture seal from the first seal position to the second seal positionin response to inward movement of the button member.
 45. The lid ofclaim 40, wherein the lid body has a downwardly opening hollow interiorbody region and the stopper is at least partially positioned within thehollow interior body region, the stopper having a stopper base portionand a stopper sealing portion extending upward from the stopper baseportion, and the stopper sealing portion has an upper end portion with aseal positioned to close the drink aperture when the stopper is in theclosed position and to open the drink aperture when the stopper is inthe opened position.
 46. A lid for use with a drinking containercontaining a liquid and operable by a hand of a user, comprising: a lidbody couplable to the drinking container and having a drink aperture anda vent aperture; a trigger assembly controlling fluid flow through thedrink aperture and vent aperture, the trigger assembly having a buttonmember movable inward by the user to actuate opening of the drinkaperture and opening of the vent aperture; a lever rotatably coupled tothe lid body, in a first lever position the lever is in engagement withthe button member and is inwardly moveable therefrom to apply an inwardforce on the button member to move the button member sufficient toactuate opening of the drink aperture and the vent aperture; and whereinthe lid body has a downwardly opening hollow interior body region and astopper at least partially positioned within the hollow interior bodyregion, the stopper having a stopper base portion and a stopper sealingportion extending upward from the stopper base portion, the stopperbeing movably coupled to the lid body and configured for upwarddisplacement into a closed position whereat the stopper closes the drinkaperture, and downward displacement into an opened position whereat thestopper opens the drink aperture.
 47. The lid of claim 46, wherein thestopper sealing portion has an upper end portion with a seal positionedto close the drink aperture when the stopper is in the closed positionand to open the drink aperture when the stopper is in the openedposition.
 48. The lid of claim 46, wherein the stopper sealing portionand the stopper base portion are movable together as a unit between thestopper closed and opened positions.
 49. The lid of claim 46, furtherincluding an axially extending stopper biasing member coupled to thestopper, the stopper biasing member applying an axially upward biasingforce to the stopper to bias the stopper toward the closed position, thestopper biasing member being disconnectable from the stopper, and whendisconnected from the stopper, the stopper being fully separable fromthe lid body.
 50. The lid of claim 49, wherein the stopper biasingmember applies a biasing force to the button member tending to move thebutton member in an outward direction.
 51. The lid of claim 46, whereinthe stopper base portion at least partially blocks the flow of fluidthrough the hollow interior body region of the lid body.
 52. The lid ofclaim 51, wherein the hollow interior body region of the lid body has alower end portion defining an open lower end of the hollow interior bodyregion, and the stopper base portion spans across the open lower end andhas a perimeter portion located adjacent to the lower end portion.
 53. Alid for use with a drinking container containing a liquid and operableby a hand of a user, comprising: a lid body couplable to the drinkingcontainer and having a drink aperture and a vent aperture; a triggerassembly controlling fluid flow through the drink aperture and ventaperture, the trigger assembly having a button member movable inward bythe user to actuate opening of the drink aperture and opening of thevent aperture; a lever rotatably coupled to the lid body, in a firstlever position the lever is in engagement with the button member and isinwardly moveable therefrom to apply an inward force on the buttonmember to move the button member sufficient to actuate opening of thedrink aperture and the vent aperture; and a stopper movably coupled tothe lid body and configured for upward displacement into a closedposition whereat the stopper closes the drink aperture, and downwarddisplacement into an opened position whereat the stopper opens the drinkaperture, the stopper having a stopper base portion and a stoppersealing portion extending upward from the stopper base portion, thestopper sealing portion having an upper end portion with a sealpositioned to close the drink aperture when the stopper is in the closedposition and to open the drink aperture when the stopper is in theopened position.
 54. The lid of claim 53, wherein the stopper base andstopper sealing portion are rigidly connected together and move as aunit.
 55. The lid of claim 53, further including a vent aperture sealmovable between a first seal position and a second seal position, in thefirst seal position the vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture andin the second seal position the vent aperture seal opens the ventaperture, the trigger assembly has an actuator member operativelyconnected to the vent aperture seal, the button member being operativelyconnected to the actuator member with inward movement of the buttonmember causing the actuator member to move inward and move the ventaperture seal from the first seal position to the second seal position.56. The lid of claim 53, further including a vent aperture seal movablebetween a first seal position and a second seal position, in the firstseal position the vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture and in thesecond seal position the vent aperture seal opens the vent aperture, thetrigger assembly being operatively connected to the vent aperture sealto move the vent aperture seal from the first seal position to thesecond seal position in response to inward movement of the buttonmember.
 57. The lid of claim 34, wherein the inward force on the buttonmember first actuates opening of the vent aperture and after opening ofthe vent aperture next actuates opening of the drink aperture.
 58. Thelid of claim 34, further including a vent aperture seal movable betweena first seal position and a second seal position, and a lid wall with awall opening, in the first seal position the vent aperture seal closesthe vent aperture and in the second seal position the vent aperture sealopens the vent aperture.
 59. The lid of claim 58, wherein the triggerassembly has an actuator member extending through the wall opening andoperatively connected to the vent aperture seal, the button member beingoperatively connected to the actuator member with inward movement of thebutton member causing the actuator member to move inward and move thevent aperture seal from the first seal position to the second sealposition.
 60. The lid of claim 34, wherein the lid body has an upperwall and a sidewall extending downward from and at least partiallyaround the upper wall, the vent aperture being located in the sidewall.61. The lid of claim 60, further including a vent aperture seal movablebetween a first seal position and a second seal position, in the firstseal position the vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture and in thesecond seal position the vent aperture seal opens the vent aperture. 62.The lid of claim 61, wherein the trigger assembly has an actuator memberextending through the vent aperture and operatively connected to thevent aperture seal, the button member being operatively connected to theactuator member with inward movement of the button member causing theactuator member to move inward and move the vent aperture seal from thefirst seal position to the second seal position.
 63. The lid of claim34, wherein the lever has a first lever end portion rotatably connectedto the lid body and a free second lever end portion, and the lever isoutwardly rotatably movable from the first lever position to a secondlever position whereat the lever is out of engagement with the buttonmember and the second lever end portion is positioned above the lidbody.
 64. The lid of claim 34, wherein the lever has a first lever endportion rotatably connected to the lid body and a free second lever endportion, and the lever is outwardly rotatably movable from the firstlever position to a second lever position whereat the lever is rotatedto position the lever sufficiently clear of the button member to permitmanual operation of the button member.
 65. The lid of claim 34, wherein,when a first force is applied to the lever, the lever is operative toapply a second force to the button member to cause the button member tomove inward.
 66. A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing aliquid and operable by a hand of a user, comprising: a lid bodyselectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the lid body including adrink aperture configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when thelid body is coupled to the drinking vessel and a vent aperture, the lidbody having a downwardly opening interior body region; a stopper movablycoupled to the lid body and at least partially movably positioned withinthe hollow interior body region, the stopper being configured for upwarddisplacement into a closed position whereat the stopper closes the drinkaperture to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downwarddisplacement into an opened position whereat the stopper opens the drinkaperture to allow fluid passage through the drink aperture, the stopperhaving a stopper engagement portion comprising one of a cam surface anda cam follower; an actuating member movably coupled to the lid body andcontrolling fluid communication through the drink aperture and the ventaperture, the actuating member being inwardly movable by the user toactuate opening of the drink aperture and to actuate opening of the ventaperture, and being outwardly movable, the actuating member having anactuating member engagement portion comprising the other of the camsurface and the cam follower, the actuating member engagement portionbeing positioned to slidably engage the stopper engagement portionduring inward movement of the actuating member to cause the actuatingmember engagement portion to move the stopper engagement portiondownward which moves the stopper to the opened position, and beingpositioned such that during outward movement of the actuating member theactuating member engagement portion permits the stopper engagementportion to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position;and a lever rotatably coupled to the lid body, in a first lever positionthe lever is in engagement with the actuating member and is inwardlyrotatably moveable therefrom to apply an inward force on the actuatingmember to move the actuating member sufficient to actuate opening of thedrink aperture and the vent aperture.
 67. The lid of claim 66, whereinthe lever is outwardly rotatably movable from the first lever positionto a second lever position whereat the lever is out of engagement withthe actuating member and positioned to permit the actuating member to bemoved inward by the hand of the user.
 68. The lid of claim 66, whereininward movement of the actuating member by the user is limited to onlylinear inward movement.
 69. The lid of claim 66, further including avent seal movable between a closed position closing the vent apertureand an opened position opening the vent aperture, inward movement of theactuating member moving the vent seal from the closed position to theopened position.
 70. A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing aliquid and operable by a hand of a user, comprising: a lid bodyselectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the lid body including adrink aperture configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when thelid body is coupled to the drinking vessel and a vent aperture; astopper movably coupled to the lid body and configured for upwarddisplacement into a closed position whereat the stopper closes the drinkaperture to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downwarddisplacement into an opened position whereat the stopper opens the drinkaperture to allow fluid passage through the drink aperture, the stopperhaving a stopper engagement portion comprising one of a cam surface anda cam follower; an actuating member movably coupled to the lid body andcontrolling fluid communication through the drink aperture and the ventaperture, the actuating member being inwardly movable by the user toactuate opening of the drink aperture and to actuate opening of the ventaperture, and being outwardly movable, the actuating member having anactuating member engagement portion comprising the other of the camsurface and the cam follower, the actuating member engagement portionbeing positioned to operably engage the stopper engagement portionduring inward movement of the actuating member to cause the actuatingmember engagement portion to move the stopper engagement portiondownward which moves the stopper to the opened position, and beingpositioned such that during outward movement of the actuating member theactuating member engagement portion permits the stopper engagementportion to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position;and a lever rotatably coupled to the lid body, in a first lever positionthe lever is in engagement with the actuating member and is inwardlyrotatably moveable therefrom to apply an inward force on the actuatingmember to move the actuating member sufficient to actuate opening of thedrink aperture and the vent aperture.
 71. The lid of claim 70, whereinthe lever is outwardly rotatably movable from the first lever positionto a second lever position whereat the lever is out of engagement withthe actuating member and positioned to permit the actuating member to bemoved inward by the hand of the user.
 72. The lid of claim 70, whereinthe lid body has a downwardly opening interior body region and thestopper and the stopper is at least partially movably positioned withinthe hollow interior body region.
 73. The lid of claim 70, wherein theactuating member engagement portion slidably engages the stopperengagement portion during inward movement of the actuating member.
 74. Alid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid and operable by ahand of a user, comprising: a lid body selectively couplable to thedrinking vessel, the lid body including a drink aperture configured topermit fluid passage therethrough when the lid body is coupled to thedrinking vessel; a stopper movably coupled to the lid body andconfigured for upward displacement into a closed position whereat thestopper closes the drink aperture to prevent fluid passage therethrough,and downward displacement into an opened position whereat the stopperopens the drink aperture to allow fluid passage through the drinkaperture, the stopper having a stopper engagement portion; an actuatingmember movably coupled to the lid body and controlling fluidcommunication through the drink aperture, the actuating member beinginwardly movable by the user to actuate opening of the drink aperture,and being outwardly movable, the actuating member having an actuatingmember engagement portion, the actuating member engagement portion beingpositioned to operably engage the stopper engagement portion duringinward movement of the actuating member to cause the actuating memberengagement portion to move the stopper engagement portion downward whichmoves the stopper to the opened position, and being positioned such thatduring outward movement of the actuating member the actuating memberengagement portion permits the stopper engagement portion to move upwardwhich moves the stopper to the closed position; and a lever rotatablycoupled to the lid body, in a first lever position the lever is inengagement with the actuating member and is inwardly rotatably moveabletherefrom to apply an inward force on the actuating member to move theactuating member sufficient to actuate opening of the drink aperture andthe vent aperture, the lever is outwardly rotatably movable from thefirst lever position to a second lever position whereat the lever is outof engagement with the actuating member and positioned to permit theactuating member to be moved inward by the hand of the user.
 75. A lidfor use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid and operable by ahand of a user, comprising: a lid body selectively couplable to thedrinking vessel, the lid body including a drink aperture to permit fluidpassage therethrough when the lid body is coupled to the drinkingvessel; a stopper movably coupled to the lid body, the stopper beingmovable between a closed position whereat the stopper closes the drinkaperture to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and an opened positionwhereat the stopper opens the drink aperture to allow fluid passagethrough the drink aperture; an actuating member movably coupled to thelid body, the actuating member being inwardly movable by the user tomove the stopper from the closed position to the opened position; and alever rotatably coupled to the lid body, in a first lever position thelever is in engagement with the actuating member and is inwardlymoveable therefrom to apply an inward force on the actuating member tocause the actuating member to move the stopper toward the openedposition, the lever is outwardly movable from the first lever positionto a second lever position whereat the lever is out of engagement withthe actuating member and positioned to permit the actuating member to bemoved inward by the hand of the user.
 76. The lid of claim 75, whereinthe rotation of the lever between the first and second positions is atleast 90 degrees.
 77. The lid of claim 75, wherein the lever has a freeend, and in the second position of the lever the free end of the leveris above the lid body.
 78. The lid of claim 75, wherein the lever has afree end and the lever is rotatable between the second position and athird position, in the third position the free end of the lever is abovethe lid body and overlays the drink opening.